The New World (2005)

DVD CASE/SIDE

Length of film:  135 Minutes (Extended Cut: 172 Minutes)

Rated: 12A

Genre: Drama, Biography, History

Director: Terrence Malick

Starring: Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis, Yorick van Wageningen

IMDB Rank: 6.7/10

Part 1 Time:  93 Minutes (Extended Cut: 119 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  42 Minutes (Extended Cut: 53 Minutes)

Where does the first part end? Chief Powhatan (August Schellenberg) moves the Powhatan peoples away, as their village is burned down by the English. The final scene shows the English burning down Powhatan crops.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: 

Theatrical Version: No dialogue in the final scene depicting the burning of the Powhatan village.

Extended Version: Same cinematography as the theatrical version only difference is that Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher) narrates throughout the scene, “We can enter you. Question you. I mourn. I grieve. Take my hand father.”

First line of dialogue on the second part: 

Theatrical Version: About 1 minute into the scene John Rolfe (Christian Bale) narrates, “When I first saw her, she was regarded as someone finished, broken, lost.”

Extended Version: Scene starts the same as the theatrical version, but instead has Pocahontas narrating as she walks through the settlement and in the forest, “Scorned, cast out, cut off. A dog.”

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat, Pocahontas has been exiled by the Powhatan peoples and is currently living within the English settlement of Jamestown. Captain Smith (Colin Farrell) has decided to leave Pocahontas and return to England. How will Pocahontas fare now that she has been abandoned by Smith?

Which part is better? Overall, the film is quite slow with minimal dialogue, which is somewhat accurate for the time as there is a language barrier between the settlers and the Powhatan peoples. Part one is significantly better as this part of the film not only depicts the early relationship between the British and the indigenous peoples, but also numerous scenes with breathtaking sights and sounds that give a true sense of what living during this time must of been like.

Academy Awards: 2006 Best Cinematography (Nominated)